Tube expander



T. J. DIXON. TUBE EXPANDEVR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

2 $HEETS-SHEET1- INVENTOR f/zomas (ID8 EiEZI N BY ATTORNEYS er o p fic y p nted ut etube s as he e d ube e for holding theexpa nding rollers tioned' for ATENT OFFICE.

THOMASJ. DIXON, 0F MADISON, WISCONSIN.

TUBE EXPANDER.

Application filed March 15, 1921.

improvements is that type of tube expanders in which provision is made for effectingthe simultaneous operation of expanding the end of'thetube within theflue sheetand flaring and boiling the end of the tube against 7 s e ng panded' or forced outwardly to hold it securely'within-theflue sheet.

ri narilyr my invention'has for its purposeto provide a tool of the general character stated, comparatively inexpensive to make which is offew parts that may be readily assembled for use or taken apart and which will effectively serve its intended pur: P 5:

' My present invention also comprehends a'construction of parts, that constitutes a tool; for expanding and flaring tube ends, whichvparts are adapted for being compactly combined, simple and strong, and designed for flaring all of the diiferentstandard sizes of tubes, from one to six inches, and which also include a simple and, improved means sired operative condition, and from becoming detached'or separated from the body or stock portion of the tool. v

l'vith otherobjects in view that will here inafter be explained, my invention embodies, in a tubeshaping tool of the character stated,

pecul ar arrangement and comb1nacertain 7 tion of parts, all of which will be fully statedin the following detailed in the ap pendedclaims and illustrated in the accom- 'anyin drawin s in which:

..n, a. a: v 45;

gure 1 .is a top plan view of my improved construction of tube expanding and flaring to l, a preferred arrangement-of parts being illustrated;

F lgure 2 is a detail" longitudinal section of a portion of the body or stock of the tool, the

expanding and flaring elements being shown in side elevation, the parts being shown posifeeding into the tube end to be expanded' and fiared.

' Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof on the line 3-3 of, Figure 2.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

in the de-,

description T Patented Apr. 11, 1922. Serial No. 452,489

F igurc l is a transverse section on the line lll: oi- Figure 2, and particularly illustrates the means for holding the expanding tool rollers from operative displacement. h

Figures 5 and (i are detail views of the flaring disk and the disk bearing box respcctlvely.

Figure form of ferred to.

Figure 8 is a detail longitudinal. section of a portion thereof on the line 88 of F igure .7. 4

Figures 9 and 10 are detail views of the expanding and the flaring disk members shown in Figures 7 and 8. I

Figures ll, 12 and 13 are detail views oi modified arrangements of the spring devices 7 is a plan view showing a modified my 111V6I1l31011,- hereinafter reused in connection with the preferred arrangement of the tube expanding and flaring members.

In the drawings, 1 designates the body or stock of the tool which is provided with the usual axial bore 2 for the reception of the mandrel 3, it being understood that my present typeoftube end forming tool is of the self-feedingkind.

The" body 1 has a series shown) of longitudinal slots l which ex tend lengthwise thereof and in' a slightly diagonal direction, the several slotsextending radially, with respect to theccntra-l bore 2, with which bore they communicate, as is best shown in Figure 3, by reference to which it will also be seen the outer ends of (three being the slots 4 are slightly restricted, as at ll, to prevent the expanding rollers 5 from dropping out of the body or stock 1, the said rollers, when assembling the parts, being inserted through either end not the body bore 2. 1 Tube expanders of the present invention relates, as is well known to those skilled in this art, have more or less complicated ways for holding the expanding rollers when in their inoperative position, In my construction of expanding tool, I employ a simple but effective means for holding the expanding rollers 5 in place and adapted for being easily and quickly adjusted to allow as desired.

By reference to Figure 3, it will be seen that midway each pair of adjacent slots 4, is a screw pin 6, the several screw pins engaging with internally threaded and radiclass to which my for removing the rollers 5,

ally projected apertures 7 in the body 1, whose inner ends communicate with the bore 2 at the apex or junction of adjacent ones of the slots Such arrangement of parts provides for radially projecting the inner ends of the screw pins 6 within the bore 2 of the stock 1, sufficiently to form stops to hold the rollers 5 from (l101' )lllg inwardly into the said bore 2, it being apparent that by giving the screw pins a couple of turns back, the rollers 5' can be dropped in line in the axial boreand quickly taken out through the said bore 2 oi the body 1.

S designates a flaring disk, whose iunc tion is to flare or turn the end of the tube that projects through the flue sheet. Any number of said disks may be used, preterably one for each roller as shown.

In the preferred form, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5, the flaringmember is a cone shaped disk whose smaller end, when the parts are assembled, is adapted for l'ltllllg against the adjacent tapered end. 51 of an expanding roller 5, as is best shown in Fig ure 2. x

The disk 8 has an axial stud 80 in the outer or larger face thereoi for engaging a bearing socket 90 in a bearing box 9 that slidably engages a radial pocket 11 in the stock 1 and which is normally held against dropping out of theesaid pocket 11 bya suitable spring device, which may be and preferably is a bent flat spring 12, one end of which extends into the bore 2 of the stock 1 and the other end of which rides upon and withina grooved seat 91 in the top of the box 9, as is clearly shown in: Figure 2.

The means shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 for flaring or bending back the tube end,

isa preferred construction, and presentsa practlcal arrangement of parts for simulta neously effecting the operation of expand-.

ingand flaring the tube end but I desire it understood that the said parts, as shown and described, may be readily varied or.

modified to suit the particular type of tubes for which myimproved tool maybe espB- cially' adapted.

For example, instead of 'lorining tl e expanding roller 5 with a conical end that provides a bearing for the cone-slniped disk 8, as shown in Figure 2, the outer end of the roller 5 may have a [hit gtace adapted for flatwise engaging thecorrespoinlingly shaped end of a roller 85 of a somewhat larger diameter than the roller 5 and whose front end is tapered, as at 86, toprovide an inclined portion that projects beyond the tube contacting surface of theexpanding roller 5, for turning back the projected'end. of the tube, as indicated in Figures 7 and 8. In the latter form oi my invention, the two rollers5and 85 are joined by a pin connection 87, and since a close'fit of the 'roller 85 within a pocket portion 15 of the stock is thereby possible, need of the spring shown in the form illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 8, -for holding the flaring roller to the work is unnecessary, since the pin connection 87 holds the roller 85 from dropping out of its seat in the stock '1.

instead of using the spring connection 12 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the spring connection may be in the nature of a flat spring, one end of which bears on the box 9 and whose other end extends over the adjacent portion of the stock and is fastened thereto by a screw bolt 16, as shown in Figure 11. If desired, a springshaped as in Figures 12 and 13 may be used. In this form, the spring is in the nature of an inverted V- shaped member 17 whose loop portion 17* seats over a heel portion 91. onthe back of the box 9 and whose side portions are bowed 'to slip under the opposite wall of the bore 2 just below the socket in which the box fits, as is clearly shown in Figures 12 and 13.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the complete construction, vthe manner in which the several parts are cooperatively arranged, and the advantages thereof will be apparent to those familiar with tools of this 7 type, it being understood that to operate my combination tube expanding and flaring tool which, as before stated, is of the seltfeeding type, it is'only necessary to place the tool into the end of the tube and flared, to a point.

where the smaller diameter of the flaring disk, or roller, comes into contact with the tube end, as shown in full lines on Figure ,2.

The mandrel 3 is then placed intothe tool stock or body 1 and the rotary motion thereof is started.

The self-feeding action of the mandrel and the rollers forces the body 1, with the roller 5, into the tube and the flaring member into the projected end of the tube, as it diskS (or roller 85f revolves its cone-shaped surface engages the end of the tube and flares or bends it back to the position indicated in Figure 2-.a1id in shape forbeading, the act of expanding andflaring being accomplished with one operation of the tool.

in the preferred form of myinvention shown in Figures 1 to 4:, the face of the box that abuts the conical end of the expanding roller 5 has its upper edge projected beyond the larger diameter of its abutting flaring disk, to provide a stop that serves to limit the inward feed of the flaring disk 8, as'will be understood from the position shown 1n ery of the body, an expanding roller mountis being expandedbythe roller 5, and as the 7 ed in each pocket, means for holding the said rollers from dropping out from the body, other means for holding the rollers from dropping into the bore of the body, one end ofone of the expanding rollers being tapered, a tapering mandrel adjustable through the axial bore of the stock and adapted for engaging and expanding rollers and for projecting them to the flue engaging position, a flaring disk, a bearing box removably mounted Within the body, the box and the disk having journal and bearing connections, the said disk engaging the tapered end of the adjacent expanding roller and means for holding the box from dropping out of the body.

'2. In a tube expander, the combination With the body having an axial bore, the said body having at least one pocket that extends radially from the bore through the periphery of the body, an expanding roller mounted in each pocket, means for holding the said rollers from dropping out from the bore, other means for holding the rollers from dropping into the bore of the body, one end of one of the expanding rollers being tapered, a tapering mandrel adjustable through the axial bore of the stock and adapted for engaging and expanding rollers and for projecting them to the flue engaging position, a flaring disk, a bearing box removably mounted Within the body, the box and the disk having journal bearing connections, the said disk engaging the tapered end of the adjacent expanding roller, means for holding the box from dropping out of the body, the said disk bearing box having its disk engaging face projected beyond the disk whereby to form a stop for engaging the flared end of the tube.

THOMAS J. DIXON. 

